Religiosity in America
Ryan S. Purvis – L27885571
Liberty University
GOVT 329 – B02
Instructor Ronald Miller
03/12/2018
Running head: Religiosity in America
Abstract
The purpose of this research paper is to emphasize the importance of religiosity in
American culture both in the past and in the present. The founding fathers incorporated moral
truths found in the Bible into the American way of life without formally adopting a national
religion. American religiosity is something that defines American culture, sets it apart from other
nations in the world, and continues to be a guiding force in American government and American
politics today, even thought it is not as prominent as it once was. How American religiosity
benefits American culture, and it became uniquely associated with the American way of life is
very important. Unfortunately, modern-day America rejects a lot of the incorporation of Christian
principles in public places and schools, but nonetheless Christianity continues to be an influential
aspect of American culture and politics in the present day.
Introduction
2
Running head: Religiosity in America
America is truly an exceptional nation that is like no other in modern history. Since
America’s founding there have been several aspects of American government and American
culture that makes it stand out amongst its piers on the world stage. One of the most defining
aspects of American culture and American government, that has helped to establish America as
the greatest nation in the world, is America’s religiosity, which is why I chose American
religiosity for the topic of this research paper. The definition of American religiosity, how it
became uniquely associated with American culture at the time, and how it is a benefit to
American exceptionalism all help to explain why American religiosity is quickly becoming less
of a characteristic of modern-day America.
The Definition of Religiosity in America
The founding fathers created a system of government that embraced people from all
walks of life and all belief systems while still holding fast to the Christian faith as a moral guide
for American life and American government. The way that they accomplished that feat is truly
remarkable. They created a government that was separate from religion because that is one of the
primary reasons they wanted to be free from English oppression. They managed to incorporated
God and the Christian faith into the documents that define American government without
formally adopting the Christian faith as a national religion, allowing Americans to freely practice
whatever religion they felt led to practice. “The United States was unique in the unqualified
breadth of its religious freedom and in the absence of any state assistance for a preferred faith,
both explicitly protected by the first amendment of the Bill of Rights.” (Murray, 2013, p. 24).
Religion has always played a very important role in American politics and American culture, but
it has never infringed upon the ideology of true American liberty.
How this Trait became Uniquely Associated with American Culture at the Time.
3
Running head: Religiosity in America
American religiosity has always been uniquely associated with American culture because
it is one of the primary factors that led to the American Revolution. “Thomas Jefferson's
influence permeated the culture that gave rise to the First Amendment.” (Burton, 2014). The first
amendment is unique to American culture. It is the religious founding of America that
established many of the moral characteristics of American government today. “Jeffersonian ideas
became the standards by which religious freedom was interpreted and applied.” Burton, 2014).
The colonial Puritans were people dedicated to transforming how people practice Protestantism.
They believed in the simple worship of the one true God of Heaven and strict adherence to the
moral principles and commands found in the Bible. “It was Puritan culture that stamped its mark
indelibly on public culture in what became the United States.” (Albanese, 1995). The colonial
Puritans had much influence over the development of American government and American
culture.
American culture has changed over the years, but since America’s founding, Americans
have always had a sense of moral responsibility unlike any other group of people in history.
Other countries around the world quickly started to recognize that America was different. What
made America completely unique was the way in which the founding fathers relied on Biblical
principles, but did not adopt a national religion. Even though there was not an established
national religion, “religion—both organized and more informal—flourished in the land, growing
mightily from the late eighteenth century to the end of the twentieth.” (Albanese, 1995).
American religiosity will always be a trait that defines American culture, even though it is less
prominent today in modern-America. Americans still identify with the Christian themes that
permeate American culture such as, “God Bless America.”
This Trait is Quickly Becoming Less of a Characteristic of Modern-Day America.
4
Running head: Religiosity in America
American religiosity is quickly losing traction in American culture today as the liberal
agenda is pushed more and more on a very large scale both politically and personally. Social
issues like abortion and gay rights were once considered morally and socially unacceptable, but
now they have become societal norms as many Americans blatantly reject the God of the Bible
and everything the Christian faith represents. Billy Graham will always be known as “America’s
Pastor.” When Billy Graham first began to preach, Americans still understood the importance of
American religiosity in general. “Graham the evangelist blended into Graham the man of
character. Character was broader than Christian. It suggested a cluster of personal traits that
people of all religious traditions – or none, for that matter – found admirable.” (Wacker, 2009.) It
was Billy Graham’s testimony as a godly man of character that transformed people’s perception
of religion. Unfortunately in modern-day America, the importance of religion has been
superseded by political correctness. Billy Graham, “clearly a figure that had served as a
household name throughout the long second half of the twentieth century was rapidly fading into
obscurity.” (Stephens, 2015). It is sad to see how much American culture has declined in recent
years in regard to moral religious principles.
Although American government has now enforced laws that forbid the use of any
religious materials in schools and public places, many politicians still associate themselves with
the God of the Bible and the Christian faith. “There is a persistent tendency for political leaders
to publicly invoke God.” (Shepherd, Eibach, and Kay, 2017). It is interesting how even the most
staunch liberal politician will call for prayer in times of crisis. The reason many political leaders
in America still chose to incorporate God into their speeches is because a large percentage of
Americans still identify with the Christian faith, especially in times of national crisis.
This Trait Could be a Benefit to American Exceptionalism
American religiosity will always be a benefit to American exceptionalism. Depending on
the virtue of the American people, American religiosity will always have the potential to play an
5
Running head: Religiosity in America
important role in American government, politics, and culture. “It's hardly news anymore that a
growing number of Americans are checking the box "none" on surveys of religious belief.”
(Minor, 2014). Despite that fact, American culture today still identifies with many of the
Christian sayings and fundamental beliefs that helped to found this nation. Take the saying “God
bless America” for example; “it draws upon both religious and political sentiments, and it serves
as an ideal point of analysis for matters involving religion and politics in American society.”
(Kaylor, 2013.) The founding fathers intentionally avoided establishing a national religion, but
they definitely saw the value of modeling many of the fundamental American ideals after
Biblical truths. It is undeniable that “Christian ideas underlie some key tenets of America’s
constitutional order.” (Hall, 2011).
Christian principles continue to have a big impact on American culture and politics, even
though many liberal politicians are doing everything they can to erase them from American
history, and ensure that they have no prominence in modern-day American culture. The truth is
that no matter how hard they try, the fundamental Christian aspects of American culture will
always permeate into the current culture unless they disregard the Constitution and everything it
stands for in this country. The reason why the Constitution and the Declaration of Independence
are such powerful documents is because they clearly outline why Americans have a right to
liberty, and the reason why is rooted in the fact that human beings have rights given to them by
Creator God. It is that one truth that separates American government and American culture from
the rest of the world.
The Importance of Religiosity in America
I chose American religiosity because I believe it is the single most important aspect of
American culture and American government both historically and in modern America today.
“Indeed, our entire system of government is premised upon a deeply religious ideal.” (Gingrich,
2011, p. 74). I truly believe that the Biblical principles that guided our founding fathers as they
6
Running head: Religiosity in America
wrote the Declaration of Independence and the Bill of Rights are what have made America the
great nation that it is today. God has blessed this nation like no other before it, and that is why I
believe the religiosity of America is so very important to the American way of life. The moral
backbone of America relies on Biblical principles, and without those Biblical principles
everything becomes relative to the ideologies of whoever is in power at the time. That is why it is
crucial to preserve the system of government our founding fathers intended, which is centered on
truths that can only be found in the Word of God.
When people ignore the guiding principles of the Bible, they are left with a lot of moral
uncertainties. When there are no moral absolutes, then everything becomes relative to who is in
power at the time. That is why it is so crucial for Americans to hold fast to the guiding Biblical
principles that helped our founding fathers create this nation. The issue of gay marriage or
abortion for example has the potential to cause some serious problems in the future within
American culture. If it is the right of every American citizen to pursue happiness regardless of
moral ramifications, then how could we stop somebody from claiming his or her right to
happiness should include the right to marry as many people as he or she wants. How could we
stop somebody from claiming that Americans should have the right to euthanize their newborn
babies or to marry animals? That is why it is crucial for Americans to accept American religiosity
at face value, and incorporate the moral principles that can only be found in the Bible.
Conclusion
American religiosity is unique to American culture, and it separates America from the rest
of the nations in the world. America is truly a blessed nation, and I believe that it is primarily
because it is a nation that has always respected the God of the Bible. “Blessed is the nation
whose God is the Lord.” (Psalms 33:12, ESV). The power of prayer was not lost on the founding
7
Running head: Religiosity in America
fathers, and they truly understood that in order for America to succeed as a nation, there needed
to be some fundamental moral truths incorporated into our government system. American
religiosity has been a great benefit to American society for decades, and it is an aspect of
American culture that is undeniable, even by those in this country who seek to undermine it at
every opportunity. I believe that American religiosity is still a characteristic of modern-day
America, but it is definitely not as predominant as it once was. American religiosity is one of the
biggest contributing factors to American exceptionalism, and it is something that must forever be
preserved by Bible believing Christian Americans who understand the importance of honoring
the one true God of heaven and earth.
Bibliography
Albanese, C. L. (1995). Refusing the wild pomegranate seed: America, religious history, and the
life of the academy. Journal of the American Academy of Religion, LXIII(2), 205-229.
10.1093/jaarel/LXIII.2.205
Burton, G. (2014). Religious freedom: Jefferson's legacy, america's creed. Baptist History and
8
Running head: Religiosity in America
Heritage, 49(2), 73.
Gingrich, Newt. (2011). A Nation Like No Other. Regnery Publishing Inc. Washington, D.C.
Hall, David. (2011). Did America Have a Christian Founding? The Heritage Foundation.
https://www.heritage.org/political-process/report/did-america-have-christian-founding
Kaylor, B. T. (2013). "god bless america" serves to rally americans to war. Newspaper Research
Journal, 34(2), 93.
Minor, Bob. (2014, August). America's religiosity: a gut check of its Christianities. Liberty
Press, 20(12), 13. Retrieved from
http://link.galegroup.com.ezproxy.liberty.edu/apps/doc/A382084871/AONE?
u=vic_liberty&sid=AONE&xid=69be0fe0
Murray, Charles. (2013). American Exceptionalism. American Enterprise Institute Press.
Washington, D.C.
Shepherd, S., Eibach, R. P., & Kay, A. C. (2017). “One nation under god”: The System‐
Justifying function of symbolically aligning god and government. Political Psychology,
38(5), 703-720. 10.1111/pops.12353
Stephens, R. J. (2015). unpeeling the billy graham onion: An interview with grant wacker. Fides
Et Historia, 47(2), 120.
Wacker, G. (2009). Billy graham's america. Church History: Studies in Christianity and Culture,
78(3), 489-511. 10.1017/S0009640709990400
9
Running head: Religiosity in America 10
